10 - Opportunities
by kaahiescheck
Summary: Luke and Annabeth's encounter before the Battle of the Labyrinth.


**I had too many ideas for this theme, so it was hard to choose one. I've always wanted to write Luke and Annabeth's encounter before the Battle of the Labyrinth, and even if I'm not 100% happy with the result, I guess it turned out okay.**

**Now I'm off to break my head in half trying to come up with something for "33%". Have a nice reading!**

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Annabeth was enjoying herself reading. _Pride and Prejudice_ really was a great book and it distracted her from the nightmare she'd just had – she had woken up from it at four thirty in the morning and couldn't find her way back to sleep, so she'd settled for reading in the living room. It was six forty-three when there was a faint knock on the front door.

Frowning, Annabeth took her knife from the coffee table and got up, leaving her book in the couch. She made her way to the hall holding her deadly weapon behind her and opened the door carefully. When she saw who it was, she tried to shut it in his face, but he grabbed the wood and didn't let it close. She hated it that she'd been right about him not being dead. "Please, I just wanna talk to you."

"You've lost that privilege," Annabeth said as calmly as she could and pushed the door again, only Luke was stronger and opened it. Angry, Annabeth pointed her knife at him and took a step forward, "What do you want?"

Luke retreated and raised his hands, holding a white flag in one of them. He seemed anxious, Annabeth noted. "Just talk. A truce, five minutes. Please?"

She knew she'd regret it, but she couldn't bring herself to say no. The look in his eyes – that wasn't anxiety. It was more like… fear? Despair? Something ignited in the back of her heart, the part that still loved him and cared about him. She could at least hear him out. Even if it came to be a great disappointment, it could still be useful for the war.

Annabeth closed her father's house's front door and crossed her arms with her dagger tight in her hand, building up a neutral face expression to wear during the whole conversation so Luke wouldn't see he could still affect her. "Well?"

"Annabeth…" that single word coming from his lips almost brought down all her defenses. He sounded so broken. "You have to help me. Now that Thalia became a Huntress… you're the only one who can. Kronos… he's gonna use me to take over the world. He wants to use me as a way of winning. I-I…" he stammered despairingly.

"I thought that was what you wanted," Annabeth interrupted coldly. "Winning."

"I want to run away!" Luke burst at her. It looked as though he was about to step forward and grab her by the shoulders, but he refrained himself when he eyed her dagger. "I-I need to get away. You don't understand! He's gonna _use_ me, Annabeth. I wanna run away with you. It can be just like old times!"

It all sounded wonderful, of course, yet it sounded treacherous. Annabeth knew better than to just fall into his arms. It was foolish to believe they could go back to the old times, especially without Thalia, and _especially_ after Annabeth had grown up. Besides, there was no guarantee he wasn't lying to get her out of the house and into a trap.

"Not a chance," Annabeth said in a final tone.

"Annabeth, please. You can save me."

She snorted. "There's absolutely _no way_ I'm going off with you. Not after everything you've done. Do you think I'm that thick?"

Something changed in Luke's eyes as he grew more and more despaired and panicked. Now he seemed furious as well. "Then you should just kill me now." Annabeth frowned, and Luke stepped forward, opening his arms. "Might as well. This will be your last opportunity, so just do it already! You have your knife, I have nothing but a flag. This is your last chance, because he's gonna use me to get stronger, and you won't stand a chance against the Titan Lord, Annabeth. You know that; you're smart."

Annabeth shook her head, shocked. "I'm not gonna –"

"– kill me? Well, you should," Luke said in a mocking voice, but his face melted back to fear in no time. He took another step forward and stood right in front of her with pleading blue eyes. "I beg you, Annabeth. Please run away with me. It's the only way."

The way he spoke almost had Annabeth. She wished they could run away and forget everything. And thinking of it, they could go far enough nobody would find them and leave the war to others. Or maybe even stop the war by disappearing. Annabeth couldn't deny it was tempting to have Luke all to herself, and he looked so shattered and hurt she was willing to say yes. But right then an image flashed in her mind and she backed herself against the door. "I can't."

Luke's face contorted in a pain expression. "Because you can't leave Percy." It wasn't a question. Annabeth's eyes widened and she felt herself blushing. "Because I can't leave Camp and turn my back on my friends like you did! I'm not a traitor or a quitter. I'm fighting alongside them!"

"Alongside _him_."

"Yes!" She lashed out. "As a matter of fact, I am! It just so happens that Percy _never_ betrayed me nor anyone else, differently from _you_, who are leading so many demigods to death just because you couldn't cope with your life!"

"The gods played me, Annabeth, just like they're playing you right now! They don't care about us."

"Oh, and Kronos does?" She cocked an eyebrow at him. "Weren't you just begging me to help you get away from him?" She paused to take a deep breath. "You know I can't go with you. We'll never be like old times again. Too many things have changed, especially you."

A tense atmosphere settled between them, sending shivers down Annabeth's spine. Luke's eyes darkened as he felt her final answer hitting him like knives. No one breathed for a moment, daring the other to make the first move, until Luke stepped back with his face in a cold expression. "Fine. But I warned you."

Annabeth stared at his retreating figure until he was out of sight before going back in and letting her tears fall. Looking around the house and listening carefully, she noted that – thankfully – they hadn't woken anybody. So she dragged herself to the living room, where she laid down on the couch and tried to calm herself down.


End file.
